I can understand your dilema. Just a few months ago, I moved from Bangalore to Dubai with Web2 PM background, as a product lead in a Layer 2 chain. Salary-wise, it was a leap: I went from ₹46L all-in (plus a bit of ESOP) in Bangalore to about $120k USD base here, plus a chunk of project tokens (those vest over two years and are at the mercy of market swings). On paper, “tax-free” is real—no income tax coming out of my paycheck at all.
But here’s the catch that recruiters never tell you: rent is a beast. My one-bed not-fancy apartment in a decent part of Dubai is $2,000/month. Utilities, groceries, just basic stuff—all cost way more than Bangalore. I’m single, so it’s manageable, but if you have a family, schools and insurance will take a big bite. After all costs, I still save more than I did in India, but nowhere near the 2x or 3x some folks think.
Work culture is way more intense here. Typical day is a mix of core PM stuff—roadmaps, user stories—but add tokenomics, talking to legal/compliance (regulators here are serious), and way more founder-facing meetings. Teams are smaller, so you pick up product, ops, sometimes even customer support. It’s a bigger canvas, but a heavier lift, with a lot blurred between roles.
Token compensation is a double-edged sword. I was lucky—company honored vesting and the token is still worth something. I know three PMs who joined projects on token promises that never unlocked or lost most of their value. Paper offers are easy, real liquidity isn’t.
Networking is wild—everything from investment dinners to hackathons. If you like meeting international founders, Dubai is unmatched. But it’s fast-moving, not always stable; I’ve seen projects fold in a month.
Bottom line:
– If you want a pay bump, global exposure, and don’t mind the hustle (and the rent!), Dubai is a legit springboard, especially for blockchain PMs.
– But plan for high living costs, salary negotiations are tougher than you think, and get every bit of token comp down in black-and-white.
– If you’re risk-averse or have family and value stability, Bangalore might be a better net result—even with taxes.
If you’re seriously considering this, happy to answer more questions about specifics. There’s plenty they don’t tell you on those shiny LinkedIn posts.
